Community Response and Togetherness

Community cohesion is the most integral component of Ascend's programs. Our ventures in Enterprise, Education and Technology are most successful when we receive organized, genuinely enthusiastic responses from the communities where we are working. Consequently, communication between Ascend and local residents, which leads to accurate assessments of real individual needs, is the other crucial component which allows us to address specific necessities in each locale and provide projects and programs that result in tangible benefits for the townspeople.

At this week's graduation in Allpacruz, I witnessed the closure and success of an Ascend Education program. Throughout the past year, Ascend Ecuador has offered various workshops on personal physical/mental heath, domestic violence, substance abuse, marital issues, among other relevant topics. The attendees were comprised of local mothers, who consistently gathered with the will to learn.


While these educational workshops constituted a relatively slow process, they are one of the most important impacts Ascend has made in the mountainous province of Quingeo. The best thing that we can possibly hand out for free is the opportunity to learn, and when appreciated and utilized, this gift leads to a direct improvement in the quality of life for the recipient.

As a newcomer to the nonprofit world, I find myself grappling with the tendency to want to see drastic change, misguidedly wanting to tear everything down and rebuild it in order to make it better. Yet my continued commitment to Ascend is teaching me that real impact is made in the exact opposite manner; through patience and a deep understanding with the beneficiaries of the aid we are offering, and more importantly a deep respect for their indigenous culture and traditions. Far from an imposition of culture, a genuine humanitarian impact is realized through a real comprehension of the reality of the people with whom we are working, leading to the maximal utilization of the opportunity Ascend strives to provide.


As they received their diplomas, the women were grateful to have had access to information that they would not have found elsewhere, and to have participated in the creation of a local forum where they were able to exchange ideas and experiences, foment their sense of community and grow stronger as a group. They are all eager to continue with community projects, and this is the legacy that Ascend works to create with all of our missions.

Allpacruz, Quingeo, Ecuador. May 2009. (Photos: Caleb Braley)